Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka overcame seven double faults to Sloane Stephens‘ zero, break point conversion rate of just 21% and a shot that her opponent blasted at her upper thigh in the first set to take out the American and advance to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Despite the numbers that don’t speak to her advantage, the Belarusian’s stats have positives which brought her the 6-3 6-2 victory: she never dropped serve in the match and made 20 winners to 20 unforced errors while Stephens hit the same number of winners but 32 unforced errors.
The second-seeded Azarenka will have Agnieszka Radwanska or Garbine Muguruza as her quarterfinal obstacle.(photo: © Neal Trousdale)
